Fire Engulfs Homes in Bay Terrace Queens

FOX NEWS

Fire Engulfs Homes in Queens

NEW YORK CITY – Firefighter fought a fast-moving fire that tore through some houses in Bay Terrace, Queens, Friday night. The fire went to three alarms, authorities said.

SkyFoxHD was over the scene, where firefighters battled the flames while engulfed in thick smoke. The fire spread quickly from one house to another.

The homes are near the Clearview Golf Course and the Clearview Expressway.

Watch Super Bowl Ads Today, Get Stuff Done on Sunday

If you’re one of the many who aren’t that into football but stay glued to your TV on Super Bowl Sunday for the commercials, you can head on over to Adweek right now to catch several of this weekend’s big campaigns.

This is the Bay Terrace Cafe’s way of thanking all our loyal customers for their continued patronage

Mets New Stadium – Taxpayer Field

Taxpayer Field

FROM NEWSDAY

BY KEITH HERBERT

January 30, 2009

Two members of the House of Representatives are demanding that the Mets scrap their $400-million naming-rights deal with financially troubled Citigroup because of the bank’s receipt of federal bailout money.

Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Ted Poe (R-Texas) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner requesting he “dissolve” the contract with the Mets to name their stadium Citi Field. The Mets’ home opener there is set for April 13.

In an interview yesterday, Kucinich said the financial behemoth is in no position to lay out cash to have its name on the Queens stadium. “It’s just totally unacceptable that Citigroup should be able to spend $400 million in naming rights when they’re the recipients of a massive federal bailout,” he said.

Kucinich and Poe wrote that Citigroup’s financial footing “has changed drastically” since the naming rights deal was struck in 2006. The agreement calls for Citigroup to pay $400 million over 20 years for the naming rights.

The Mets “are fully committed to our contract with Citigroup,” said Jay Horowitz, the team’s spokesman.

Steve Silverman, a spokesman for Citigroup in Manhattan, called the contract with the Mets a “legally binding agreement” signed two years ago.

Once a financial juggernaut, Citigroup has been hit hard in the economic downturn. Taxpayers have funneled $350 billion to the banking giant as part of a federal financial rescue, including loans, in the last several months, the representatives wrote in their letter.

In November, Citigroup announced plans to cut 50,000 jobs.

Questions relating to the naming rights deal emerged last year as the financial institution’s troubles surfaced and some wondered if the record-setting deal should be ditched. Two Staten Island councilmen even proposed changing the name to Taxpayer Field.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Among the athletic venues that have had to be renamed because of financial or legal woes of their sponsors:

ENRON FIELD. The Houston Astros bought back the naming rights of their ballpark shortly after Enron Corp. declared bankruptcy in late 2001. On June 5, 2002, the Astros announced that Minute Maid Co. would pay an estimated $170 million for a new 28-year naming rights deal.

MCI CENTER. The multipurpose venue in Washington, D.C., became the Verizon Center in 2006 after Verizon acquired MCI WorldCom in the wake of the WorldCom scandal.

ADELPHIA COLISEUM. In 2002, when Adelphia Communications went bankrupt, the NFL’s Tennessee Titans exited the naming contract without financial penalties. The stadium became known as The Coliseum until naming rights were acquired by Louisiana-Pacific (LP Field) in 2006.

PAIGE SPORTS ARENA. In 2004, the new basketball arena at the University of Missouri was named after the daughter of two major donors to the university. After allegations of academic fraud against the daughter surfaced, her parents removed her name from the arena.

PSINET STADIUM. The Baltimore Ravens’ home field became M&T Bank Stadium in 2003 after PSINet declared bankruptcy.

Permanent WTC Memorial to Open on Tenth Anniversary of Attacks

Date set for permanent WTC memorial opening

From Crain’s New York

Date set for permanent WTC memorial opening

Published: January 29, 2009 – 2:20 pm

(AP) – The head of the agency that owns the World Trade Center site says the Sept. 11 memorial will open on the 10th anniversary of the attacks — and will remain open.

But that doesn’t mean the memorial will be completed by then.

Executive Director Chris Ward says the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is still determining exactly how much public access will be allowed while the construction continues. Two reflecting pools over the twin towers’ footprints will be in place and the victims’ names are slated to be engraved by the 10th anniversary.

Mr. Ward had previously intimated that the memorial would open temporarily for the anniversary and then close for about a year.

Construction on the memorial began in 2006.

Mr. Ward spoke at a state Assembly committee hearing on Thursday.